Hello, my name is Lindsay...

Wow! I feel like I need to introduce myself! I'm still here, still alive and healthy (if you count living on fast food "healthy"...), but I'm just my normal busy self. Life has been interesting the past several months, tons of changes and tons of adventures. I don't know if I will EVER be able to remember everything, I definitely should have done this sooner! Beware to anyone who is short on time or interes, this will be a VERY long post. So, here it goes...
Seattle
A few months ago, Ronnie had a training in Seattle and I got to go! It was so fun (of coarse I wasn't the one in meetings all day). We went with Mark and Bridgette, the owners of the security company that Ronnie works for and they really spoiled us. When I go on vacation, I spend most of my time trying to keep us in a budget, so it was different when we showed up to the hotel and they had upgraded our hotel room! We had the Presidential Suite, complete with 2 bathrooms, a meeting area, living room, master suite, jacuzzi tub, wet bar etc.


Seattle was really cool, Bridgette and I went down to Pike Place Market while the boys were in class and saw some really cool little stands and shops...we even saw some guys tossing the fish around and singing! One night, they took us to eat at the restaurant at the top of the Space Needle and it was soooo cool, you feel like you are on top of the world! Not to mention, the seafood was AMAZING I had fresh crab legs...you just DON'T get that in Idaho.




Emmi's Graduation
I can't believe Emmi graduated! I'm still in shock by how fast time flies. Of coarse she was the valedictorian (not sure on spelling, obviously I wasn't the valedictorian). She gave an awesome speech and I was so proud of her. Here are some pics.

Apparently in Soda Springs, each graduate gives the Principal something as the go up to receive their diploma. Ususally it is something weird like a paper clip or penny or something. Well, these guys decided to steal all of my dad's ties (he has one for about every day of the school year) and give him those. It was really cute, and here he is!

Here are all of the kids and spouses.

While we were in Soda, we decided to tour a nearby ghost town called Chesterfield. I've always enjoyed finding places like this, it gives you an appreciation for how the people survived that many years ago.


Wow! We totally rocked the bonnets, now all we need to learn to do is churn butter.

Yikes! Scandalous!

Las Vegas

Ronnie had another training in Las Vegas and I got to go AGAIN! Traveling with his work is was different than traveling with mine...I go to cool places and never see the outside of the Convention Center, but when I go with Ronnie, it's like a total vacation! Like Seattle, we were totally spoiled...nice dinners, shows etc. We stayed at The Mandalay Bay and it was so nice, they have a lazy river and the girls went down and hung out by the pool while the boys were in class. We did end up going with them to a trade show one of the days...here they are with their safely dog friend...

We had a lot of fun doing all of the Las Vegas stuff...we went to the Bodies exhibit, we saw the Cirque Du Soleil called Mystere...AMAZING! I wish that we could have taken picture during the show, they did some awesome stuff. We also went to the wax museum which was really fun - we met up with some of our closest friends...here are just a few of them.

Britney...Hey! Eyes on me unless you want to lose them!

Bradley and I...it was so cute how he ditched Angie for me...

Shaq and I...

Ronnie & Babe...

As for everything else that happened...well, you know what they say :)

I think I'll stop here for now, I'm only about half way done, but figured it'd be better to post SOMETHING. I will post the rest in a day or two...

Mi casa es tu casa...

Behold, my beautiful home...looks welcoming, doesn't it? Well, I was VERY disturbed when my husband texted me today - letting me know that we had an unexpected visitor.
Apparently she ignored this warning...


...and took this "welcome" sign a little to literal...



And here it is...the first sign of spring around the Thinnes house...





a perfect little robin's nest - nestled at the top of our wreath. My reaction: Whew Sick! Get it the H!@# out of there immediately! As much as I hate to admit it, that little nest kinda creeps me out!

Whose spoiled now?

Ronnie likes to remind me on a regular basis of how spoiled I am. If I see something I HAVE to have, there's usually no way of telling me No or talking me out of it. For a couple of years I actually had him convinced that when I bought something it was for "us"...not for "me"...yeah, not falling for it anymore! I was in Sam's Club a couple months back and found something that I really, really wanted...here's how the telephone conversation with Ronnie went...
Ronnie: Hello?
Me: Hey Hottie - I love you!
Ronnie: Oh crap, wha'd you do?
Me: Nothing...
Ronnie: What did you buy?
Me: Nothing...yet.
Ronnie: What do you want?
Me: Well, I'm at Sam's Club and they have this really good deal on KitchenAid mixers - do you remember the other day how I was saying that it would be sooooo nice to have a KitchenAid mixer?
Ronnie: No
Me: Well, I did and WE really, really need one.
Ronnie: How much?
Me: Not too much...like a couple hundred ($285)
Ronnie: (sigh) I guess, but you owe me
Me: Yippee! Should I get a red or black one?
Ronnie: Get a black one...for sure a black one...
Me: Ok

I totally got a red one!

Several months ago I came home to an ugly scene - Ronnie sitting in front of the computer with a piece of paper and pen. On the paper, three colums...Linz...Me...Us - Oh crap, he was really adding up all of the money that I had spent the previous month, all that he had spent, and all that we had spent together - BUSTED! It didn't go over too bad, and I did learn a few valuable lessons 1) Ronnie has now been able to breach all of my security passwords on our bank account...he even figured out my grandma's maiden name and where my grandpa was born (I just made that answer up-I really have no idea where he was born) apparently I thought it was iron clad 2) I really DO spend a lot of money and I really AM spoiled. 3) It's OK to get what I want, but maybe sometimes I should let Ronnie have a turn to get something that he really wants. 4) Never tell Ronnie that he can have whatever he wants...he'll end up coming home with this...




It's not a joke, my husband is the VERY proud new owner of a 1976 Stingray Corvette...I think HE owes ME now! Ronnie has always been a "car guy" - to anyone who's been to our house, that's not really a secret. He has 4 cars parked in the RV parking area, 2 cars parked in the garage (one of them being the Corvette), and our 2 everyday drivers got that shaft and are now parked in the driveway...sigh!

What's been keeping me busy....?

Cakes!!! As most of you know, I took cake decorating classes a couple of years ago before I was married because I thought it would be a fun thing to know for when I had a family of my own. Well, the word got out and the past couple of weeks I've been cake cRaZy! Here are the ones that I've finished...

Baby Shower for a baby girl...I thought this turned out cute...just a fun pink cake for a new baby girl!


Cookie Monster...this one was so fun! I made this for a co-worker for her husband who loves cookie monster! It was fun to use frosting again where I do the majority of my cakes in fondant.

This is a John Deere tractor cake that I made for another co-worker of mine...I thought I better add a few animals to this fun little farm! I made all of the animals out of fondant and it was actually really fun to do!

Here is the cute cow...

and the messy little pigs!

a sheep and a chicken with her little chicks...

a duck in a little pond, and of course the TRACTOR!


Here is a fun baby shower cake for a little baby boy...



Even though you can't eat it, here is a diaper cake that I made for my sister-in-law's baby shower...I've never made one before, but it was so fun figuring it out!

Brendan's Home!

Even more exciting than Christmas this year was welcoming my baby bro back from Brazil! We got to talk to him on Christmas as usual, but it was different knowing that we would be able to see him in person in less than a month...well here's how it went!
Everyone waiting...and waiting...and waiting!

Phoebe showing off...Look what I can do!

Gwen's pouty face...

Mama waiting...patiently????

The poster - anyone who knows my dad knows that with every BIG event, a poster MUST be made!

He's here!

Mom not wanting to share (typical) :)

The fam...but it looks like Nate and Rebecca are missing...hmmmm...where did they go?

Freezing weather (not quite what he's used to)

First request - Reed's Dairy- Of coarse!

Welcome Home Brother!